Fastener for display buttons



Sept. 17, 1929. w HQAG 1,728,409

FASTENER FOR DISPLAY BUTTONS Filed Jan. 3, 1925 Patented Sept. 17, 1929 FLOYDW. HOAG, or SYRACUSE, NEW YORK I i FASTENER FOR; DISPLAY summons Application filed January 3, 1925. seria ize". 364.:

This invention relates to a device for fastening associated plates and other placards to radiators and other structures having cells or openings therethrough and is particularly usefulas an attaching means for display buttons having marginal grooves in the backs thereof for the reception of a spring wire loop which is held in place solely by its own tension against the walls ofthe groove so that i the cam attaching device may be used with buttons having different matter to be displayed. i I

The main object is to provide a simple and zomparatively inexpensive attaching deviceof this character which may be readily passed through the cells or openings of the object to which the display matter is to be applied and locked in its operative position without the use of screws, bolts ornuts.

One of the specific objects is to enable the same attaching device to be used with cellularstructures of different thicknesses and at the same time to firmly hold the display matter in place against rattling or undue vibration.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the device will be broughtout' in the following description.

In the drawings: a v

Figure 1 is a face view of one form of my invention with the parts in their normal positions. r I

:Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same device taken on line 2-2, Figure 1, omitting the clamping member. s

Figure 3 is a rear sectional view of the advertising plate or button and adjacent'por tion of the supporting spring "taken in the plane of line 3-3, Figure'Q. I Figure is a vertical sectional view of a portion of an automobile radiator andwith the display device shown in Figure 1 in operative position thereon.

Figure 5 is a'p'erspective view of a de-' tachedclampingjplate shown in Figure 4.

v The construction shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive comprises a display,button'f1 having a re'arwardly and inwardly crimped marginal flange 2 forming a marginal I 4-- which, in this instance, is substantially dent that other forms of placards or devices 5 the radiator as shown in Figure 1. j A spring clip or vfastener 6- cooperates groove -3 for receiving a spring wire loop semi-elliptica l and tensioned to frictionally engage the opposite sides and one of the end walls of thegroove 3 of the placard -1, the latter being shown as elliptical. It is evi x may be used without departing fromthe spirit of this invention. 7 Oneend of the loop -2- isprovided with a relatively long spring arm, rod or bar 5 o adapted to extend through any one of the cells as rr of a radiator A- from front to rear and some distance beyond the rear side thereof as shown in Figure 4, said arm being normally disposed at an angle to the I axis of the button 1 and approximately midway between the opposite sides thereof and when properly adjusted preferably extends rearwardly and downwardly from the opposite" edge of the button across said axis as shown in Figure 2. The other, end of the loop l' is provided with a relatively short arm 5 adapted to extend into another end of the cells a of the radiator from the front side thereof for holding the button againstlateral swinging movement about the axis of the longer arm 5 when the'display button is placed in operative position against the. front side of with the rear end of the arm 5 and adjacentrear face of the radiator +A ;ro1- holding the button 1 flatwise' against the the front face oflsaid radiatorand for this,

purposeconsists of a spring metal plate hav- S5 ingllts central portion provided with a hole 7 for receiving thearm 5- while the ends of the plate are returned rearwardly toward each other ,to form spring jaws 8 having their end edges approaching very closely to each otherybut in spaced relation to the base of the plate and deflected rearwardly so as to yield forwardly and rearwardly but tensioned so as to spring forward- "1y toward the button when adjusted for'use for frictionally gripping the stem or arm 5 and thereby holding the button and arm against forward movement. j i The bitingedges or nibs' of the jaws 8+ are slightly recessed at --9-- in axial alignment with the hole 7 to assist in guiding the clamp in its sliding movement along the stem when clamping the button in operative position upon the radiator.

The hole 7 in the base of the clip 6- is of justsufficient diameter to permit the stem 5- to pass easily therethrough and together with the biting edges or nibs of the jaws 8 form two axially spaced bearings for the clamp on the stem to hold said stem and clip in planes at right angles to each other and thereby to increase the gripping efliciency of the ends of the aws against opposite faces of the stem 5.

The entire wire including the loop -4 and arms .5 and 5 may be extremely small and highly resilient while the clip 6- may be made of light spring sheet metal so that when the display button is placed in operative position the pressure of the spring arm 5- and clip 6 upon the usually thin walls of the radiator will be negligible thereby reducing to a minimum the liability of any injury to the radiator.

In placing this placard or display device in operative position upon the radiator the button 1 is tilted to a position shown by dotted lines in Figure 4: to bring the arm 5 into a substantially horizontal plane registering with the cell a through which it is adapted to pass while the shorter arm 5' is allowed to project into another one of the cells so that by pressing the button rearwardly against the front face of the radiator until it lies substantially parallel therewith, the

- arm -5 will be extended until through and beyond the rear side of the radiator and will also be placed under tension against the underlying wall of the cell following which operation the clip 6 will be pressed over and upon the rearwardly projecting end of the stem 5 and against the rear face of the radiator with a forward sliding movement thereby causing the nibs of the jaws 8 to slide along and against opposite sides of the stem and to slightly yield rearwardly under such sliding movement so that when brought against the rear face of the radiator the spring tension of the aws will cause their ends to frictionally engage the stem for holding the latter and thereby holding the button 1 in their adjusted positions without any further fastening means.

If it should be desired to remove the button from the radiator it is simply necessary to engage free ends of the jaws -8 between the thumb and finger and to pull the same rearwardly which willrelease them from biting engagement with the stem 5 and thus permit the button with the stem thereon to be withdrawn forwardly from the radiator.

In Figures 6 and 7 is shown a modified form of clip v-6 consisting of a single piece of sheet metal having its central portion cut in such manner as to form a pair of jaws.

8 having their outer ends integrally united with the main body and their inner ends lying in close proximity to each other and tensioned so as to spring against opposite sides of the stem 5 in a manner similar to the jaws 8.

The central portion of the clip 6 is bowed rearwardly or in the direction of deflection of the jaws 8 while the ends of the plate are slightly curved rearwardly to form finger pieces 10- whereby they may be pressed by hand toward each other to release the jaws from engagement with the stem ,5,when it is desired to remove the clip from said stem.

The object in bowing the central portion of the clip 6 rearwardly is to enable it to be pressed forwardly by hand when the ends of the plate are engaged with the rear face of the radiator thereby tending to close the ends of the jaws -8 upon the stem 5 and to place the bowed portion under tension to hold the jaws in frictional engagement with the stem when the button is clamped in operative position.

The loop 4 of thebutton attaching devices is open at one side to permit itto be compressed for insertion into or removal from the groove 3vbut is spring tensioned to frictionally retain it in said groove when properly attached to the button.

These several button attaching devices are simple and inexpensive but are highly efficient as a means for retaining the button in operative position upon radiators and other structures having openings therein for receiving one or both ends of the wire loop.

The clips 6 and -6- are particularly efficient in retaining the wire and button attached thereto in their adjusted positions.

In other words, the clip 6 may be quickly adjusted by sliding movement along the stem 5- to any desired position according to the thickness of the object to which the button is to be attached with the assurance that the button will be firmly held against accidental displacement or vibration, it being understood that the clips -6- amt-6- will be made of hardened spring metal such as steel while the stem -5 is preferably made of softer spring metal such as brass thus permitting the biting edges of the aws of the clips to obtain a iirm grip upon the stemto hold those parts against relative axial movement when the button is placed inoperative position.

It is evident, however, that the clips 6 and -6' may be used for many other purposes without departing from the spirit of this invention and, therefore, I do not wish to limit the invention to the use of said clips for display buttons.

What I claim is: j 1, A display placard having a spring arm projecting downwardly from the edge of the rear face thereof to form an acute angle with such face, said spring arm being adapted to :;tend through an aperture in the article to which the display placard is to be attached, and a fastener comprising a spring plate of uniform width from end to end and provided with opposed integral jaws free to yield in opposite directions toward and from the central'portion of the plate, said central portion having an opening tl'ierethrough for receiving said spring arm, the distance between said jaws being less than the width of the spring arm.

2. A display placard having a spring arm projecting downwardly from the edge of the rear face thereof to form an acute angle with such face, said spring arm being adapted to extend through an aperture in the article to which the display placard is to be attached, and a fastener comprising a spring plate of uniform width from end to end and provided with opposed integral jaw-s free to yield in opposite directions toward and from the central portion of the plate, said central portion having an opening therethrough for receiving said spring arm, the distance between said jaws being less than the Width of the spring arm, and a second spring arm extending rearwardly from the edge of the display placard and being in spaced relation to the first named spring arm and being adapted to extend into an aperture in the article to which the display placard is to be attached.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of of December, 1924.

FLOYD W. HOAG. 

